An Affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System

The religious community of Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis was founded in Telgte, Westphalia, Germany in 1844. A Franciscan priest, Father Christopher Bernsmeyer, OFM, sought the assistance of five German women in order to minister to the needs of the sick poor in the area.

In 1875, 20 Sisters came to America as missionaries from Germany. Over the years, their numbers and works multiplied. Hospital Sisters Health System became a primary vehicle for reaching the sick in America.

The Hospital Sisters Health System is the thirteenth largest acute care hospital system in the United States with 14 hospitals throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. Corporate headquarters and the motherhouse of Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis (sponsor of St. Elizabeth's Hospital) are located in Springfield, Illinois. View our Annual Report.